Isn't the obvious conclusion that they (former presidents etc) were also playing their part in leading us to this place, one step at a time? That with each successive term, regardless of party in power, rights and freedoms eroded? That political parties are two wings of the same bird which has been flying towards a technocracy for many decades? That no hero of the establishment's making is coming to save us?
Yep. Neoliberal (Centrist) policies have been leading us down this path dating all the way back to Jimmy Carter... both parties are complicit. What's left wing in the US (universal health care, abortion rights, living wages, etc) is essentially centrist in the rest of the Western world. Mike Brock, you are way too smart and thoughtful to believe that Centrism in the US has any interest beyond preserving power and the status quo for the elite... Schumer and Jeffries are prime examples. No principles... no spines. I know it's best to examine political views on a spectrum, but Mike, I think you're much more aligned with Bernie and AOC than you realize. It's such a shame that so many believe their views are radical.
Thank you for saying what I was too impatient to say again. Much more eloquently stated than the " fuck your center " statement I had time for.
To be a Democratic party voter and want a party for " true centrist " between the GOP and Democratic party is the most delusional concept I've had to digest in my 40+ years on earth.
Left, right or centre, by the time they make it to a position with any power, politicians work for the oligarchs, not the people who pay their salaries and fund the wars etc that line their bosses' pockets. It's theatre, plain and simple, which is perhaps why we see so many "former" actors in high office, including Trump, Trudeau and Zelenski.
I don't disagree. But there's a reason the Dem establishment conspired to make sure Bernie wasn't the nominee in 2016 and 2020. Politicians who are truly Progressive don't take corporate donations and focus on small dollar instead. Citizens United put money in politics on steroids and is a big reason we are where we are with the oligarchy. I'm not naive, but I'm also not gonna just say the game is rigged and give up. The current insanity under Trump is exposing how corrupt and feckless both parties are, and there are plenty of Dems who will call out the oligarchy, but most only as performative theater, as you say. I'm just saying, if there is any hope to be found in our current politicians, it's on the left in Bernie and AOC. But yeah, the system is broken, no doubt... that's why we got Trump 1 and 2.0.
And yet, the majority of voters still show a preference for "centrist" candidates, when we look at actual voting statistics. Such candidates are winning by larger margins, across the entire country. IMO, that shows that the voters are making a conscious choice for candidates who they view as ones who will compromise... which is what democracy is all about at its core. Not everyone gets everything that they want, but everyone gets some of what they want. (And yes, it occurs to me that it's too late for that ideal now, when all things liberal/social are on the chopping block.)
You're right, but anytime voters are polled on specific policies, they tend to lean towards progressive policies. There's a complete disconnect in what the people want and what the politicians give us. I think the fact that voters show a tendency for centrist pols is more about mis/uninformed voters and the way polls are done than it's about a real preference for centrism. And of course, the ridiculous culture wars create a wedge and distort the reality of the situation. If only we could develop class consciousness in the US.
Yes to all of that. There's also a big difference between polls and actual voter stats to consider, too. Poll questions can be very leading, or even nondescript, depending on the pollster (or funding).
You said it all! Exactly. Labor solidarity is a great place to start. That's the common ground we all share. Media literacy taught in schools would be excellent for the country as well. Other democratic republics are doing so nationally.
Nobody is getting anything they want at this moment. Just because people vote for the "lesser of two evils" does not mean they like the candidate they vote for. Polls and Vibes have not been very relevant in the last decade. The DNC has spent billions to tamp down the majority of popular progressives who run grassroots campaigns. By the time the election comes around our dreams are dead and the puppet they bought and paid for is the only electoral means of protecting the marginalized. Unfortunately only having a choice of the DNC prop every election cycle has caused many to want to tear down the system all together. That's how so many Bernie supports cast protest votes for Trump. Not sure that worked out real well for them, but it happened. I can't help but think every dollar I sent to Bernies campaign was used by the DNC to smear him. Boy did they.
I wasn't happy about that and yet still I voted for a person I loathed more than the GOP all together. In the end the 2 parties don't understand what the majority wants. Not one bit. Nor do they care. They care about sustained power! Keeping us divided through culture wars has been very affecting. It's an abusive relationship for everyone involved, but the abusers! In open forums most on the left and right are fighting for the same things all humans desire and are due. Peace, security, privacy, stability, community, freedom, liberty, a sense of belonging and a voice. ✌️
We should really get past bipartisanship at this point. After Mitch McConnells antics how are we still talking about meeting in the middle? The middle has no idea what they want. I believe the majority of the left and right do want the same things policy wise. I do believe they both have to be asked differently though. The deprograming will take a long time.
Voting with our wallets is the true democratic process for sure. Shopping local small businesses and farmers is good for our communities and that's where we can make the biggest difference. Same with banking at local credit unions.
We build the world we want to see one financial transaction at a time.
Death by a thousand cuts (psychology), the way a major negative change which happens slowly in many unnoticed increments is not perceived as objectionable. - Wikipedia
Id say if you don't cherish what you have then you can lose it. Normalcy and habit is he'll of a drug. When you don't look up and after it then there is nothing that stops the status quo from self-actualization. If status quo don't update and go without times on its own, people will look for whatever can replace This old system. Whatever fits the Weather...
The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts. Bertrand Russell, John G. Slater, Peter Köllner (1997). “Last Philosophical Testament: 1943-68”, p.554, Psychology Press
I would like to present a different term for Tr*mp Derangement Syndrome - as we all know this is a thought-terminating cliche that actually harms reasonable people from being appropriately aware of a threat to their own existence:
You know how a lot of the things that MAGA Republicans say tend to be projections of their own thoughts and behaviors? For instance, how Trump accuses Democrats of weaponizing the justice system, when it's Trump himself that is doing exactly that. Or how mainstream media is "fake news" when his own administration puts out more blatant lies than all of Fox news. I kind of look at the idea of "Trump Derangement Syndrome" in a similar way. The Right uses TDS to suggest that it's the Left who has lost their minds, getting unreasonably upset -- going crazy, even -- over Trump's every little word and action. I think we should see it differently, though. TDS should really be applied to those Republicans who have become full-on MAGA, for THEY are the ones who have lost the critical mental faculties to recognize something for being abnormal and unreasonable. THEY are the ones who continuously "normalize the abnormal" as Mr. Brock so clearly articulates above.
I used to like to make a crude analogy to try to describe what has been going on all around us since Trump came on the scene. It's as if you're dining in a nice restaurant, and in off the street walks some random drunk guy, who proceeds to climb upon one of the tables in the center of the dining room, takes a huge dump in view of everyone, pulls up his pants, and walks back out. And everyone in the restaurant keeps on eating and acts like, "Yeah, this is normal." And when you jump up and shout, "What the hell, people?! Isn't anyone going to say anything about what just happened??!" they all look at you and tell you to sit back down and stop being so deranged.
I feel like we have been living in a world where that is happening nearly every day that Trump is in office. And yet, somehow, people think WE are the deranged ones. WE are the ones who have lost our minds.
you say you find yourself surprised to be aligning with the likes of Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez but in my experience this is exactly where you find moral clarity… with those to the Left, who understand and value the interconnectedness of humanity and aspire to a better life for all… not with those who grip the centre, and fear the loss of the status quo and possibly their own privilege.
Very well said. By the way, I am pretty sure Trump Derangement Syndrome is a real pathological condition. Consider people who inject botox or modify their appearance in other ways to resemble or please the lech in chief. Consider people who will believe any lie, no matter how absurd, when it’s uttered by the lech in chief. Consider men like Marco Rubio, who once seemed somewhat normal, who now resemble soulless zombies whose hearts and souls have been sucked out of them. Musk talks of some sort of woke mind virus. But TDS is a much more obvious and undeniably debilitating pathology. And Musk himself has a terrible, probably terminal case. These are poisoned minds, deranged indeed, and there may be no cure other than the expiration of the diseased vessel.
I'm not an American, just a concerned citizen of the world and it's starting to feel like I'm more anxious about the US's downfall than american people themselves. Your voice is clear and loud but is it shared among others in the country or is it a voice in a desert of silence? What are former presidents and intellectual minds thinking about all this? What are everyday people thinking? Is all this happening because american people never expected their democracy to fail and thus don't recognise the signs or is there more to it?
I'm reading news and articles everyday in hope of seeing some strong resistance but I find little or none. Is maybe the majority bored or fed up with democracy? Do they need some autocrat to "take care" of them?
I can understand russians and chinese falling for their leaders but americans? It's really incredible.
When I was younger, I was a moderate. I loved Barack Obama. I’ve moved decidedly left because over time it’s become clear- the classical, “reasonable” centrists I grew up with really don’t believe in anything at all. They believe in orderly bureaucracy and “stability.” But their moral compass is conspicuously absent every time it really counts.
One other issue- I think it’s obvious that: they’re scared. That’s why Obama isn’t out giving speeches. That’s why Harris and Schumer are giving book tours instead of leading protests. They’re afraid to poke the bear because they fear being on the losing side. And, in their cowardice, they do a disservice to liberty-loving people everywhere. We’ve gotten away from thinking of cowardice as a moral failing in America. In this era, we get to learn the hard way why genuine courage is such an important virtue.
Thank you so much for writing this. It articulates things I don’t have the words for. In solidarity
There are many comments as followup to this post, largely approving, but often wandering off on tangents with almost no connection to what you have written, and to great affect effect. Few that I've seen so far that acknowledge and thank you for the courage to make those breaks with friends that integrity demands. So, thank you.
Anyone who has ever broken with a friend over a big issue that does permit agreeing to disagree knows how damned painful that process is, not least because it provokes a rethink of the assumed fundamentals that friendship rested on, for years or even decades. But sometimes it must be done or self-respect must be set aside as something that threatens the assumptions we tend to rely on in pursuit of a comfortable life.
Now is the time for everyone who has enjoyed, wittingly or not, living in a liberal democracy to make a stand in whatever ways are open. If not, get ready to suppress certain truths about just who you are, for the rest of your life.
This is greatness. Politics be damned. Thanks for speaking out when no one does. Now I know why I took to your stack the moment it first crossed my radar.
I'm with you on this, Mike. It looks like our most prominent leaders believe they've done their bit and are settling in for a comfortable retirement in Upstate New York, Dallas, Martha's Vineyard, and Rehoboth Beach.
I wonder, too, how much the prospect of having their secret service protections pulled by Trump plays into their (disappointing) silence regarding current affairs. I imagine this would leave them dangerously exposed.
I share your concern and your rationale. This is no mere political spasm or swing of the pendulum. The pendulum has been broken, blown to pieces, and we are all correct in our alarm and our outrage. But, in defense of Obama, the Clintons (both of them), Biden, and Harris… they did exactly what you’ve suggested. They loudly and repeatedly sounded the alarm about what would happen if he were re-elected, even saying, accurately, that it would be a mortal threat to our democracy. And what happened… enough people listened and said, “whatever.” The rest of us already knew, already agreed, already understood. And we still do. We don’t need to be reminded about what’s happening to our lives, our country, our world right before our eyes. As for the rest of them, nothing the former presidents and the political establishment say or do will tear them away from their cultish devotion to the man and the movement that gives their hatred, fear, and disillusionment its voice. They are in it regardless, even if they die with it. The people of Jonestown knew it wasn’t Kool-Aid. And the MAGA morons know he is no statesman. They don’t care. Obama can’t change their minds. And the rest of us are already in the trenches fighting for our survival. As for GW Bush, he is still the stupid moral weakling he’s always been. Anything he might say would have the standing of a wet paper towel. Stay strong, fight like hell, and fuck all of the idiots who allowed this to happen.
Sorry that you don’t have better friends, bro. The Democratic Party has revealed itself to be a spineless wing of centrist republicans. There is a much better class of people over here on the left and we will welcome you with open arms!
We sadly and obviously cannot depend upon former centrist leaders to be spokespersons for democracy. I don't know why they won't speak up. If AOC and Bernie and the progressives are the only ones willing to go out to the people and speak with them, then I hope their words and presence inspires others to do the same. We have a democracy to defend. I only attend demonstrations and write and call representatives. But I do something. Everyone who believes in liberty must do something. Or this abyss Mike describes will deepen. And we will fall even more completely into fascism.
Fantastic piece, Mike - thank you! This very question has foremostly been on my mind and tongue for the past few months. The sound of ineptness is deafening (now, if only this were the case of ineptness alone...).
There is an old Zen saying: "When the student is ready, the teacher will arrive."
The American public cannot be forced to action but must be ready and willing to accept responsibility for their nation. Timing is critical. Ex-presidents and top officials are serious artillery, and if not properly used, they can escalate an already unstable and chaotic situation.
These folks know their power and have learned to respect its use to avoid collateral damage. Remember all the Confederate battle flags at the Capitol Insurrection? Imagine how much fuel would be added to the racist MAGA fire if Barack Obama challenged 'Dear Leader' Donald's chokehold on power.
Sadly, 'we the people' voted for this mess and no one can save us from ourselves. We would like to hope we can avoid "institutional collapse" but is that not what we voted for? Our government has not functioned well for decades and the consensus is: "We're mad as hell and not going to take it anymore."
Thomas Jefferson said, “Every generation needs a new revolution.” But what happens when a culture becomes so splintered that we are experiencing not just one but multiple revolutions? The far-right and far-left are clear on their ideas of cultural change. The rest of us are overwhelmed and confused wanting drastic actions without any unpleasant change happening. Perhaps institutional collapse has to occur before we unite in our motivation to create a new nation and government. When we arrive at that awareness, the leaders will arrive.
Yes...and...I'm not sure we have the time to wait for enough people in this country to become "aware" if they haven't become that already. As someone who lives in the education space, I can tell you that sending kids out into the world "unaware" is a feature, not a bug. We who read these essays and comments and engage are in a bubble that may represent 5, maybe 10% of the populace. The rest just want to keep their heads down and make it through the day. I don't disagree at all that we need a leader(s). I just wonder how and when they emerge in this chaotic, complex moment.
Yes, “unaware is a feature, not a flaw.” It is also a reflexive psychological defense against emotional overwhelm. Denial, bargaining, and anger are the first stages of the grief/change cycle and we generally work very hard to live in our fantasies - one of which is “if I don’t know about it, it won’t affect me.” “Fight, flight, or freeze” are the instinctive responses to a threat. We can run away into various addictions or freeze and hide in self-imposed ignorance and information blackouts. I am reminded of Nazi Sgt. Schultz on the old ‘Hogan’s Heros’ TV series: “I know nothing…”
I contend much of our frustration is believing there is a political solution to the mess we’ve gotten ourselves into. Rather than political leaders coming to our rescue, we may need a military leader familiar with implementing martial law. Our old 17th century Constitution is not adequate for the demands of the 21st century. The ‘Citizens United’ ruling allowing special interests and corporations to flood politics with money was the fatal blow to any illusion of democracy. The American “experiment” failed and we chose Trump and his Project 2025 manifesto to destroy our legacy government - “drain the swamp”.
The Confederate battle flags flying at the Capitol during the J6 Insurrection was an omen of the Civil War to come. Resistance will be met with force and the “House of Cards” will quickly collapse. General Miley (now retired) stepped in during the first Trump presidency to avoid chaos and international conflict. Will the military break ranks again and choose to support the public rather than an autocratic Commander in Chief?
After the Confederacy was brutally beaten and surrendered, President Lincoln and the War Congress declared martial law while the southern states were forcefully “reconstructed” back into a single nation. The military enforced the basis of order necessary to form a national government. We are at that point again…
Interesting take. I hate to admit it, but you may be onto something regarding the need for military intervention. And I agree 100% that Citizens United is one of the biggest causes/amplifiers of our broken system.
One point of contention though, is that Trump disavowed Project 2025... it polled horribly and he knew he had to distance himself from it. People voted for cheaper groceries and relief from the affordability crisis, not to dismantle our govt. That's what we're getting though, so hopefully, assuming we survive this, we can build back a better govt that is actually responsive to the demands of the people.
What! You're telling me Trump lied about Project 2025. Unbelievable.
Let's stick with what Trump does rather than what he says...
"Paul Dans, who served as the director of Project 2025 but left his post in July, said of Mr. Trump's actions so far that they were a testament not only to the initiative's efforts, but also the readiness of the conservative movement in preparing for the next administration.
"They're home runs," he said of the president's plans. "They are in many cases more than we could have even dared hope for."
These guys are not going to simply give up their dream of an imperial presidency and go peacefully into the night. We are in denial about the coming Civil War and the inevitable declaration of martial law. For years now the government has been dysfunctional, but soon it will be destroyed.
It seems we both misunderstood each other, but we're on the same page. I know Trump is the most prolific liar in human history... I was just making the point that the people did not vote for Project 2025. I saw one poll that had it at 4% approval pre-election. As the destruction of our govt continues, I'm guessing his support will bottom at 30-35% and we're seeing the backlash grow.
And I mistakenly thought you were saying that we'll need military intervention to stop the authoritarian takeover (may be the case though, that we need a general who is loyal to the Constitution... not sure US Marshalls are gonna cut it when he disobeys SCOTUS). But I totally agree that he's chomping at the bit for some protestors to get out of hand so he can declare martial law. No doubt, these lunatics are all in.
I'm not sure what a modern-day Civil War looks like, but I have read a couple articles discussing the topic. You can be sure the military would split and the size of our country vs troop numbers makes it very difficult to lock things down. But yeah... the possibility is all too real. Unfortunately, I think the number of us who understand the threat is way too small (Schumer and Jeffries are obviously clueless). Treacherous times we are in.
I have a background in military intelligence and disaster response. I, of course, haven't seen it, but I can assure you there is a disaster plan on the shelf (and probably being updated) for military response in the event of the incapacitation of the civilian government. Normally, the President and Congress would authorize martial law, but we're experiencing a complete breakdown of the government and an unprecedented military coup to establish order and protect our nuclear stockpile.
It appears there is a 'coalition of the willing' ready to take control if full-scale violence erupts. "Five former defense secretaries on Thursday denounced President Donald Trump’s firing last week of the Joint Chiefs chairman and several other senior military officials, urging Congress to hold hearings and declaring they have concluded the officers were “fired for purely partisan reasons."
Isn't the obvious conclusion that they (former presidents etc) were also playing their part in leading us to this place, one step at a time? That with each successive term, regardless of party in power, rights and freedoms eroded? That political parties are two wings of the same bird which has been flying towards a technocracy for many decades? That no hero of the establishment's making is coming to save us?
Yes, I think it is.
Yep. Neoliberal (Centrist) policies have been leading us down this path dating all the way back to Jimmy Carter... both parties are complicit. What's left wing in the US (universal health care, abortion rights, living wages, etc) is essentially centrist in the rest of the Western world. Mike Brock, you are way too smart and thoughtful to believe that Centrism in the US has any interest beyond preserving power and the status quo for the elite... Schumer and Jeffries are prime examples. No principles... no spines. I know it's best to examine political views on a spectrum, but Mike, I think you're much more aligned with Bernie and AOC than you realize. It's such a shame that so many believe their views are radical.
Thank you for saying what I was too impatient to say again. Much more eloquently stated than the " fuck your center " statement I had time for.
To be a Democratic party voter and want a party for " true centrist " between the GOP and Democratic party is the most delusional concept I've had to digest in my 40+ years on earth.
And in my 64
Left, right or centre, by the time they make it to a position with any power, politicians work for the oligarchs, not the people who pay their salaries and fund the wars etc that line their bosses' pockets. It's theatre, plain and simple, which is perhaps why we see so many "former" actors in high office, including Trump, Trudeau and Zelenski.
I don't disagree. But there's a reason the Dem establishment conspired to make sure Bernie wasn't the nominee in 2016 and 2020. Politicians who are truly Progressive don't take corporate donations and focus on small dollar instead. Citizens United put money in politics on steroids and is a big reason we are where we are with the oligarchy. I'm not naive, but I'm also not gonna just say the game is rigged and give up. The current insanity under Trump is exposing how corrupt and feckless both parties are, and there are plenty of Dems who will call out the oligarchy, but most only as performative theater, as you say. I'm just saying, if there is any hope to be found in our current politicians, it's on the left in Bernie and AOC. But yeah, the system is broken, no doubt... that's why we got Trump 1 and 2.0.
You forgot to mention the movie actor, Ronald Reagan.
And yet, the majority of voters still show a preference for "centrist" candidates, when we look at actual voting statistics. Such candidates are winning by larger margins, across the entire country. IMO, that shows that the voters are making a conscious choice for candidates who they view as ones who will compromise... which is what democracy is all about at its core. Not everyone gets everything that they want, but everyone gets some of what they want. (And yes, it occurs to me that it's too late for that ideal now, when all things liberal/social are on the chopping block.)
You're right, but anytime voters are polled on specific policies, they tend to lean towards progressive policies. There's a complete disconnect in what the people want and what the politicians give us. I think the fact that voters show a tendency for centrist pols is more about mis/uninformed voters and the way polls are done than it's about a real preference for centrism. And of course, the ridiculous culture wars create a wedge and distort the reality of the situation. If only we could develop class consciousness in the US.
Yes to all of that. There's also a big difference between polls and actual voter stats to consider, too. Poll questions can be very leading, or even nondescript, depending on the pollster (or funding).
You said it all! Exactly. Labor solidarity is a great place to start. That's the common ground we all share. Media literacy taught in schools would be excellent for the country as well. Other democratic republics are doing so nationally.
also called push-polling
Nobody is getting anything they want at this moment. Just because people vote for the "lesser of two evils" does not mean they like the candidate they vote for. Polls and Vibes have not been very relevant in the last decade. The DNC has spent billions to tamp down the majority of popular progressives who run grassroots campaigns. By the time the election comes around our dreams are dead and the puppet they bought and paid for is the only electoral means of protecting the marginalized. Unfortunately only having a choice of the DNC prop every election cycle has caused many to want to tear down the system all together. That's how so many Bernie supports cast protest votes for Trump. Not sure that worked out real well for them, but it happened. I can't help but think every dollar I sent to Bernies campaign was used by the DNC to smear him. Boy did they.
I wasn't happy about that and yet still I voted for a person I loathed more than the GOP all together. In the end the 2 parties don't understand what the majority wants. Not one bit. Nor do they care. They care about sustained power! Keeping us divided through culture wars has been very affecting. It's an abusive relationship for everyone involved, but the abusers! In open forums most on the left and right are fighting for the same things all humans desire and are due. Peace, security, privacy, stability, community, freedom, liberty, a sense of belonging and a voice. ✌️
We should really get past bipartisanship at this point. After Mitch McConnells antics how are we still talking about meeting in the middle? The middle has no idea what they want. I believe the majority of the left and right do want the same things policy wise. I do believe they both have to be asked differently though. The deprograming will take a long time.
I believe we should all denounce the voting booth as the sham that it is.
We should boycott elections and at the same time boycott a selection of multinational corporations until they wake up.Vote with the purse.
Voting with our wallets is the true democratic process for sure. Shopping local small businesses and farmers is good for our communities and that's where we can make the biggest difference. Same with banking at local credit unions.
We build the world we want to see one financial transaction at a time.
Death by a thousand cuts (psychology), the way a major negative change which happens slowly in many unnoticed increments is not perceived as objectionable. - Wikipedia
Id say if you don't cherish what you have then you can lose it. Normalcy and habit is he'll of a drug. When you don't look up and after it then there is nothing that stops the status quo from self-actualization. If status quo don't update and go without times on its own, people will look for whatever can replace This old system. Whatever fits the Weather...
If only it was the people who were desiring and making the decisions
The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts. Bertrand Russell, John G. Slater, Peter Köllner (1997). “Last Philosophical Testament: 1943-68”, p.554, Psychology Press
That's one of the problems for sure!
I would like to present a different term for Tr*mp Derangement Syndrome - as we all know this is a thought-terminating cliche that actually harms reasonable people from being appropriately aware of a threat to their own existence:
“Autocratic Despair”
You know how a lot of the things that MAGA Republicans say tend to be projections of their own thoughts and behaviors? For instance, how Trump accuses Democrats of weaponizing the justice system, when it's Trump himself that is doing exactly that. Or how mainstream media is "fake news" when his own administration puts out more blatant lies than all of Fox news. I kind of look at the idea of "Trump Derangement Syndrome" in a similar way. The Right uses TDS to suggest that it's the Left who has lost their minds, getting unreasonably upset -- going crazy, even -- over Trump's every little word and action. I think we should see it differently, though. TDS should really be applied to those Republicans who have become full-on MAGA, for THEY are the ones who have lost the critical mental faculties to recognize something for being abnormal and unreasonable. THEY are the ones who continuously "normalize the abnormal" as Mr. Brock so clearly articulates above.
I used to like to make a crude analogy to try to describe what has been going on all around us since Trump came on the scene. It's as if you're dining in a nice restaurant, and in off the street walks some random drunk guy, who proceeds to climb upon one of the tables in the center of the dining room, takes a huge dump in view of everyone, pulls up his pants, and walks back out. And everyone in the restaurant keeps on eating and acts like, "Yeah, this is normal." And when you jump up and shout, "What the hell, people?! Isn't anyone going to say anything about what just happened??!" they all look at you and tell you to sit back down and stop being so deranged.
I feel like we have been living in a world where that is happening nearly every day that Trump is in office. And yet, somehow, people think WE are the deranged ones. WE are the ones who have lost our minds.
My preferred term for Trump Derangement Syndrome? Calling Bullsh*t on Bullsh*t.
Auto-Correct sure isn't working. Maybe Control-Alt-Delete?
you say you find yourself surprised to be aligning with the likes of Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez but in my experience this is exactly where you find moral clarity… with those to the Left, who understand and value the interconnectedness of humanity and aspire to a better life for all… not with those who grip the centre, and fear the loss of the status quo and possibly their own privilege.
Very well said. By the way, I am pretty sure Trump Derangement Syndrome is a real pathological condition. Consider people who inject botox or modify their appearance in other ways to resemble or please the lech in chief. Consider people who will believe any lie, no matter how absurd, when it’s uttered by the lech in chief. Consider men like Marco Rubio, who once seemed somewhat normal, who now resemble soulless zombies whose hearts and souls have been sucked out of them. Musk talks of some sort of woke mind virus. But TDS is a much more obvious and undeniably debilitating pathology. And Musk himself has a terrible, probably terminal case. These are poisoned minds, deranged indeed, and there may be no cure other than the expiration of the diseased vessel.
Oh wow, I pretty much just wrote the same thing in a reply above before reading down to see your comment. Yours makes the point much better though! :)
Thanks, and I barely scraped the surface.
This article of yours is exactly the point.
I'm not an American, just a concerned citizen of the world and it's starting to feel like I'm more anxious about the US's downfall than american people themselves. Your voice is clear and loud but is it shared among others in the country or is it a voice in a desert of silence? What are former presidents and intellectual minds thinking about all this? What are everyday people thinking? Is all this happening because american people never expected their democracy to fail and thus don't recognise the signs or is there more to it?
I'm reading news and articles everyday in hope of seeing some strong resistance but I find little or none. Is maybe the majority bored or fed up with democracy? Do they need some autocrat to "take care" of them?
I can understand russians and chinese falling for their leaders but americans? It's really incredible.
When I was younger, I was a moderate. I loved Barack Obama. I’ve moved decidedly left because over time it’s become clear- the classical, “reasonable” centrists I grew up with really don’t believe in anything at all. They believe in orderly bureaucracy and “stability.” But their moral compass is conspicuously absent every time it really counts.
One other issue- I think it’s obvious that: they’re scared. That’s why Obama isn’t out giving speeches. That’s why Harris and Schumer are giving book tours instead of leading protests. They’re afraid to poke the bear because they fear being on the losing side. And, in their cowardice, they do a disservice to liberty-loving people everywhere. We’ve gotten away from thinking of cowardice as a moral failing in America. In this era, we get to learn the hard way why genuine courage is such an important virtue.
Thank you so much for writing this. It articulates things I don’t have the words for. In solidarity
There are many comments as followup to this post, largely approving, but often wandering off on tangents with almost no connection to what you have written, and to great affect effect. Few that I've seen so far that acknowledge and thank you for the courage to make those breaks with friends that integrity demands. So, thank you.
Anyone who has ever broken with a friend over a big issue that does permit agreeing to disagree knows how damned painful that process is, not least because it provokes a rethink of the assumed fundamentals that friendship rested on, for years or even decades. But sometimes it must be done or self-respect must be set aside as something that threatens the assumptions we tend to rely on in pursuit of a comfortable life.
Now is the time for everyone who has enjoyed, wittingly or not, living in a liberal democracy to make a stand in whatever ways are open. If not, get ready to suppress certain truths about just who you are, for the rest of your life.
"This above all: to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man."
Polonious' speech
Hamlet
William Shakespeare
This is greatness. Politics be damned. Thanks for speaking out when no one does. Now I know why I took to your stack the moment it first crossed my radar.
I'm with you on this, Mike. It looks like our most prominent leaders believe they've done their bit and are settling in for a comfortable retirement in Upstate New York, Dallas, Martha's Vineyard, and Rehoboth Beach.
I wonder, too, how much the prospect of having their secret service protections pulled by Trump plays into their (disappointing) silence regarding current affairs. I imagine this would leave them dangerously exposed.
Unlike the common man who is standing up at the risk of losing everything, each of them can afford (and probably already have) private security.
Silence is acquiescence. It always has been. I could not agree with you more, Mike. Thank you for that spotlight.
I share your concern and your rationale. This is no mere political spasm or swing of the pendulum. The pendulum has been broken, blown to pieces, and we are all correct in our alarm and our outrage. But, in defense of Obama, the Clintons (both of them), Biden, and Harris… they did exactly what you’ve suggested. They loudly and repeatedly sounded the alarm about what would happen if he were re-elected, even saying, accurately, that it would be a mortal threat to our democracy. And what happened… enough people listened and said, “whatever.” The rest of us already knew, already agreed, already understood. And we still do. We don’t need to be reminded about what’s happening to our lives, our country, our world right before our eyes. As for the rest of them, nothing the former presidents and the political establishment say or do will tear them away from their cultish devotion to the man and the movement that gives their hatred, fear, and disillusionment its voice. They are in it regardless, even if they die with it. The people of Jonestown knew it wasn’t Kool-Aid. And the MAGA morons know he is no statesman. They don’t care. Obama can’t change their minds. And the rest of us are already in the trenches fighting for our survival. As for GW Bush, he is still the stupid moral weakling he’s always been. Anything he might say would have the standing of a wet paper towel. Stay strong, fight like hell, and fuck all of the idiots who allowed this to happen.
Sorry that you don’t have better friends, bro. The Democratic Party has revealed itself to be a spineless wing of centrist republicans. There is a much better class of people over here on the left and we will welcome you with open arms!
We sadly and obviously cannot depend upon former centrist leaders to be spokespersons for democracy. I don't know why they won't speak up. If AOC and Bernie and the progressives are the only ones willing to go out to the people and speak with them, then I hope their words and presence inspires others to do the same. We have a democracy to defend. I only attend demonstrations and write and call representatives. But I do something. Everyone who believes in liberty must do something. Or this abyss Mike describes will deepen. And we will fall even more completely into fascism.
Spot on.
Fantastic piece, Mike - thank you! This very question has foremostly been on my mind and tongue for the past few months. The sound of ineptness is deafening (now, if only this were the case of ineptness alone...).
There is an old Zen saying: "When the student is ready, the teacher will arrive."
The American public cannot be forced to action but must be ready and willing to accept responsibility for their nation. Timing is critical. Ex-presidents and top officials are serious artillery, and if not properly used, they can escalate an already unstable and chaotic situation.
These folks know their power and have learned to respect its use to avoid collateral damage. Remember all the Confederate battle flags at the Capitol Insurrection? Imagine how much fuel would be added to the racist MAGA fire if Barack Obama challenged 'Dear Leader' Donald's chokehold on power.
Sadly, 'we the people' voted for this mess and no one can save us from ourselves. We would like to hope we can avoid "institutional collapse" but is that not what we voted for? Our government has not functioned well for decades and the consensus is: "We're mad as hell and not going to take it anymore."
Thomas Jefferson said, “Every generation needs a new revolution.” But what happens when a culture becomes so splintered that we are experiencing not just one but multiple revolutions? The far-right and far-left are clear on their ideas of cultural change. The rest of us are overwhelmed and confused wanting drastic actions without any unpleasant change happening. Perhaps institutional collapse has to occur before we unite in our motivation to create a new nation and government. When we arrive at that awareness, the leaders will arrive.
Yes...and...I'm not sure we have the time to wait for enough people in this country to become "aware" if they haven't become that already. As someone who lives in the education space, I can tell you that sending kids out into the world "unaware" is a feature, not a bug. We who read these essays and comments and engage are in a bubble that may represent 5, maybe 10% of the populace. The rest just want to keep their heads down and make it through the day. I don't disagree at all that we need a leader(s). I just wonder how and when they emerge in this chaotic, complex moment.
Yes, “unaware is a feature, not a flaw.” It is also a reflexive psychological defense against emotional overwhelm. Denial, bargaining, and anger are the first stages of the grief/change cycle and we generally work very hard to live in our fantasies - one of which is “if I don’t know about it, it won’t affect me.” “Fight, flight, or freeze” are the instinctive responses to a threat. We can run away into various addictions or freeze and hide in self-imposed ignorance and information blackouts. I am reminded of Nazi Sgt. Schultz on the old ‘Hogan’s Heros’ TV series: “I know nothing…”
I contend much of our frustration is believing there is a political solution to the mess we’ve gotten ourselves into. Rather than political leaders coming to our rescue, we may need a military leader familiar with implementing martial law. Our old 17th century Constitution is not adequate for the demands of the 21st century. The ‘Citizens United’ ruling allowing special interests and corporations to flood politics with money was the fatal blow to any illusion of democracy. The American “experiment” failed and we chose Trump and his Project 2025 manifesto to destroy our legacy government - “drain the swamp”.
The Confederate battle flags flying at the Capitol during the J6 Insurrection was an omen of the Civil War to come. Resistance will be met with force and the “House of Cards” will quickly collapse. General Miley (now retired) stepped in during the first Trump presidency to avoid chaos and international conflict. Will the military break ranks again and choose to support the public rather than an autocratic Commander in Chief?
After the Confederacy was brutally beaten and surrendered, President Lincoln and the War Congress declared martial law while the southern states were forcefully “reconstructed” back into a single nation. The military enforced the basis of order necessary to form a national government. We are at that point again…
Interesting take. I hate to admit it, but you may be onto something regarding the need for military intervention. And I agree 100% that Citizens United is one of the biggest causes/amplifiers of our broken system.
One point of contention though, is that Trump disavowed Project 2025... it polled horribly and he knew he had to distance himself from it. People voted for cheaper groceries and relief from the affordability crisis, not to dismantle our govt. That's what we're getting though, so hopefully, assuming we survive this, we can build back a better govt that is actually responsive to the demands of the people.
What! You're telling me Trump lied about Project 2025. Unbelievable.
Let's stick with what Trump does rather than what he says...
"Paul Dans, who served as the director of Project 2025 but left his post in July, said of Mr. Trump's actions so far that they were a testament not only to the initiative's efforts, but also the readiness of the conservative movement in preparing for the next administration.
"They're home runs," he said of the president's plans. "They are in many cases more than we could have even dared hope for."
These guys are not going to simply give up their dream of an imperial presidency and go peacefully into the night. We are in denial about the coming Civil War and the inevitable declaration of martial law. For years now the government has been dysfunctional, but soon it will be destroyed.
It seems we both misunderstood each other, but we're on the same page. I know Trump is the most prolific liar in human history... I was just making the point that the people did not vote for Project 2025. I saw one poll that had it at 4% approval pre-election. As the destruction of our govt continues, I'm guessing his support will bottom at 30-35% and we're seeing the backlash grow.
And I mistakenly thought you were saying that we'll need military intervention to stop the authoritarian takeover (may be the case though, that we need a general who is loyal to the Constitution... not sure US Marshalls are gonna cut it when he disobeys SCOTUS). But I totally agree that he's chomping at the bit for some protestors to get out of hand so he can declare martial law. No doubt, these lunatics are all in.
I'm not sure what a modern-day Civil War looks like, but I have read a couple articles discussing the topic. You can be sure the military would split and the size of our country vs troop numbers makes it very difficult to lock things down. But yeah... the possibility is all too real. Unfortunately, I think the number of us who understand the threat is way too small (Schumer and Jeffries are obviously clueless). Treacherous times we are in.
I have a background in military intelligence and disaster response. I, of course, haven't seen it, but I can assure you there is a disaster plan on the shelf (and probably being updated) for military response in the event of the incapacitation of the civilian government. Normally, the President and Congress would authorize martial law, but we're experiencing a complete breakdown of the government and an unprecedented military coup to establish order and protect our nuclear stockpile.
Surprisingly, coups are relatively frequent throughout the world, but not at the nuclear-armed superpower scale. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1350920/coup-d-etats-world-type/
It appears there is a 'coalition of the willing' ready to take control if full-scale violence erupts. "Five former defense secretaries on Thursday denounced President Donald Trump’s firing last week of the Joint Chiefs chairman and several other senior military officials, urging Congress to hold hearings and declaring they have concluded the officers were “fired for purely partisan reasons."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/02/27/mattis-defense-secretaries-trump-pentagon-firings/